Full CBS New YR Tuesday, 12/23/2025 – The Young And The Restless Spoilers (December 23, 2025) Episode

The fallout from the recent revelations leaves Victor Newman profoundly changed, and the shift is impossible to ignore. The once-unshakable patriarch, who built his empire on fear, dominance, and certainty, now shows cracks that unsettle even those closest to him. Rather than lashing out publicly, Victor retreats inward, displaying hesitation and emotional restraint that feel almost foreign. His authority hasn’t been stripped away by enemies—it has eroded under the weight of truths he buried for decades.

The exposure surrounding Adam and the DNA evidence has dismantled the carefully crafted story Victor lived by. For the first time, his power feels fragile, not because he fears defeat, but because he understands that his control was founded on deception. This realization leaves him haunted, struggling with a version of himself he can no longer deny.

As Victor withdraws, Nikki finds herself emotionally adrift. The marriage that once survived on endurance and compromise now feels hollow, poisoned by secrets too destructive to ignore. In this emotional vacuum, Victoria becomes Nikki’s steady anchor. Their connection deepens quietly—through shared exhaustion, unspoken understanding, and mutual concern for what Victor’s unraveling means for the family. Victoria doesn’t excuse her father’s behavior, nor does she defend it. Instead, she offers Nikki something Victor cannot right now: unconditional support without manipulation.

Meanwhile, whispers ripple through Genoa City. Billy Abbott, always attuned to shifts beneath the surface, pieces together what others sense but hesitate to say aloud. Victor’s instability, the implications of the DNA discovery, and subtle changes inside Newman Enterprises suggest the balance of power is shifting. Billy shares his concerns with Jack, recognizing that a wounded Victor is far more dangerous than an openly aggressive one.

Jack, already grappling with the possibility that Adam may be his biological son, understands the threat clearly. This conflict is no longer about business rivalries—it’s deeply personal. Victor’s desperation introduces unpredictability, and unpredictability changes everything.

Elsewhere, Clare’s visit to her grandfather introduces another emotional flashpoint. Victor questions her loyalties, especially regarding her connection to Holden Novak, revealing his instinct to measure people by association. When Clare calmly asserts her independence, Victor bristles. Her refusal to be controlled mirrors Nikki’s resistance and Victoria’s quiet defiance. Clare doesn’t arrive to challenge Victor directly, but her sincere defense of Jack infuriates him. For the first time, Victor realizes his long-held narrative about the Abbotts no longer holds unquestioned authority.

Victor warns Clare that trouble is coming for the Abbott family, framing it as inevitability rather than threat. Beneath the warning lies something more revealing—his awareness that his own instability may unleash consequences he can’t fully manage. That realization frightens him.

At the Abbott mansion, emotional tension hangs thick between Jack and Kyle. Kyle holds a carefully wrapped gift meant for Clare, a reminder of a future that no longer exists. He admits he doesn’t know whether giving it would reopen wounds or keeping it would mean accepting an ending he isn’t ready to face. Jack listens, recognizing the familiar pain of love that lingers even when trust is fractured. He gently reminds Kyle that sometimes feelings remain, but the environment needed for love to survive no longer exists.

Before closure can settle, Billy arrives with new information: Phyllis is considering transferring ownership of Marchetti to her daughter. Jack immediately senses strategy beneath the gesture. In Genoa City, generosity rarely comes without motive.

A message from Nikki soon pulls Jack away, its urgency impossible to ignore. At Society, Nikki confides in Victoria that she has drawn a hard line with Victor—threatening to leave him if he refuses to stop his relentless war. Victor’s response was chillingly dismissive, telling her the door was always open. Nikki realizes this wasn’t confidence—it was pride overriding love.

Later, Nikki meets with Jack and makes her position clear. She’s no longer negotiating or hoping Victor will change on his own. She’s prepared to walk away if that’s the only way to force accountability. Jack admires her courage but warns her that Victor doesn’t surrender control—he only loses it.

Alone, Victor replays Nikki’s ultimatum and the humiliations that fuel his obsession with Jack. Anger comforts him because it feels familiar. But beneath it lies fear—fear that if Nikki leaves, he will lose the last person who loved him without conditions. Victor now stands at a crossroads, not deciding whether to end a war, but whether he can survive without control.

And for the first time, Victor Newman may face a battle he cannot win through force alone.